Bowling-ball.



I'. N. BENDELARL v BOWLING BALL. nrmoulon FILED MARA, 1912.

Patented 1szmy'14,1912.`

PLANDQRAPH G0., WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES FREDERICO N. BENDELARI, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BOWLING-BALL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14. 1912.

Application filed March 4, 1912. Serial No. 681,370.

To @ZZ 107mm t may concern Be it known that I, Fnannnroo N. RENDE` LARI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bowling- Balls, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

It is now very common to use eccentri-y cally weighted bowling balls-that is bowling balls containing a weight so disposed' that the center of gravity of the ball will not be concentric with the cent-er of the ball.v The purpose of so eccentrically weighting` a bowling ball is to cause the ball to break' z'. c. to curve in one direction or the other upon the alley as it nears the pins, so that it will strike the pins at an angle to ar straight line passing lengthwise of the alley.

Every bowler has his personal peculiarities in respect to the speed with which he rolls a ball and the degree and direction of twist which he normally gives to it. Therefore, every bowler, who is an enthusiast and uses a weighted ball, has is own ball which is eccentrically weighted to suit his own peculiarities. Generally speaking, one man cannot successfully use an eccentrically weighted ball which suits another man.` Additionally, a ball. which is weighted to; suit a bowlers peculiarities on a particular alley may not be suitable for his use on another alley which has a smoother surface or a rougher surface. Additionally, conditions constantly arise. as, for example, if

certain pins are left standing, such that the` best results can be obtained by causing the ball to break more or less than it is normally disposed to do, in view of the size and position of the weight therein. Sometimes again, the best results can be secured by causing the ball to break in one direction when its weight is disposed so as to break in the contrary direction. bowlers are obliged to experiment not a little in order to determine how large a weight to use and how far to put itfrom the Center before they get a ball which is properly weighted eccentrically to suit their peculiarities. Then, again, on some occasions a bowler finds that in spite of himself the ball will break more than it normally does, this being' sometimes due to the condition of the alley surface and sometimes to some temporary but unexplainable personal pe- Moreover, most culiarity in respect to `the manner in which he rolls the ball.

The object of this invention is to provide a weighted ball which may be easily and quickly adjusted so as to be properly weighted eccentrically to suit the personal peculiarities of different persons, or the individual peculiarities of the surfaces of an alley, or so as to render it bet-ter adapted for use with any particular condition of standing pins. j The invention consists in a ball having the usual finger holes, and having additionally a diametrical hole extending from one side in a direction such that its axis is at right angles to a diametrical plane which passes through the center of both finger holes, and a weight which is adjustable in said hole. It also consists of certain more specific combinations and dispositionsr of parts, Vas shown in the drawing, all of which will be hereinafter described and pointed out definitely in the claims.

In the drawing, Figure l is an elevation partly broken away of a ball constructed to embody this invention; and Fig. 2 is another elevation partly sectioned in a diametrical plane which passes through the center of both finger holes.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the ball which may be made of any suitable material, and a, a represent the two finger holes which are formed in the usual relations to each other and the center of the ball. A hole is formed in the ball extending from one side across the center to a point as near as desired to the opposite side of the ball. The axis of this hole is at. right angles to a diametrical plane which passes through the center of both finger holes. Into this hole a threaded member in the form of a bushing B is tightly fitted. This bushing is of such length that it extends equal distances on opposite sides of the center so that it does not change the center of gravity of the ball. After this bushing has been put in, the outer end of the holeis filled with a plug C; and the outer surface of this plug is finished to conform to this spherical surface of the ball. This plug is tightly tted and permanently put in place, and its inner end rests against the adjacent end of the bushing. This engagement serves two useful purposes, namely, it helps to prevent the plug from being driven in as the ball is used, and` it additionally prevents endwise movement of the bushing. These balls are not infrequently made of vulcani-te. When constructed ot this material, the plug C may be put in before the ball is vulcanized, so that when vulcanized it becomes, in effect, an integral part of they ball.

A weight E is put into the bushing before the plug is put in place; and the end of this weight adjacent to the plug is fashioned for the engagement of a tool by whichv it may be turned. Specifically a socket 'e is formedy in the end of said weight. In thel plug C is a: hole which is concentric with the bushing and through this hole a suitable tool may be passed into engagement with said socket e, so' that the weight may be turned'.` The' weight is externally threaded to i't the threaded bushing,- so that by turning it, it is causedl to travel lengthwise of the bushing.

The hole through the plug is' preferablyv screw threaded so that a screw F may he screwed into it to completely close the same,I and prevent, for the time being, any meddling with the weight. It is, however, only necessary to remove this screw and insert the tool in orderV to make any adjustment of the weight, suchl as will adapt it to the personal peculiarities of therbowl'er, or the' individual peculiarities of' the alley, or the particular conditions of the standing pins.

Having described my invention, claim:

l. A bowling ball having two linger' holes and having a' third hole which extends from lone side' in the direction ot a diameter which is atV right angles to a dianietrical plane i'vh'ich` passes through the center of bot-h finger holes, and ai weight which is adjustable longitudinally in said third 'hole'.

2g A bowling ball having twol linger holes' and having' a third hole which extends fromy one side ot thev ball across thecenter thereofv in a direction such that its axis is at right angles to a d'fiainetrical plane which ex :tends through the center of both finger holes, and a weight which is adjustable in said'- hole' across' and on bothl sides of the center et the ball.

A bowling ball having two finger holes and having a third hole' which' extends from one` side4 in the direction ot a diameter which is at right angles to a diametrical plane which passes through the center of both finger holes, a threaded member held in said hole against endwise movement, and a threaded weight engaging with the first mentioned threaded member whereby through the relative turning of' said weight and threaded member the weight will be caused to travel longitudinally in said holes.

4t. A bowling ball having therein a diametrical hole which extends from one side past. the center, an internally threaded bushing which is fixed in said hole and which extends substantially equal distances on both sides of the center, and an externally threaded weight which is screwed into said bushing and has on one end means for engaging a tool wherewith it may be turned.

5, A bowling ball having therein a diametrical hole which extends trom one side past the center, an internally threaded bushing which is fixed in said hole and which extends substantially equal' distances on both sides of the center, and an externally 'threaded weight which is screwed into said bushing and has on one end means for engaging a tool wherewith it may be turned, a plug which is permanently secured in the outer end of said hole, and has through it a small hole whichI is coaxial with said bushing.

6. A bowling ball having therein a diametrical holewhich extends from one side past the center, an internally threaded bushing which is fixed in said hole and which extends substantially equal distances on both sides of the center, and an externally threaded weight which is screwed into said bushing and has on one end means for engaging a tool' wherewith it may be turned,

a plulg which is permanently secured in the outer end of said hole and has through it a small hole which is coaxial with said bushing,` thev inner end of said plug being` in contact with the adjacent end of' said bushing. In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. FREDERIC@ N. BENDELARI. Witnesses:

E. L. THURSTON, A. J. HUDSON.

Copies o`f this patet may7 'be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

